SiriusXM Reports Record High 32.4M Subs, Pandora Down Slightly

• 2022 Revenue of $9.0 Billion, Up 4% Year-Over-Year
• Net Income of $1.21 Billion in 2022 and Diluted EPS of $0.31
• Adjusted EBITDA Reaches $2.83 Billion
• SiriusXM Achieves Financial Guidance in 2022; Reports Full-Year Self-Pay Net Additions of 348,000

SiriusXM today announced fourth quarter and full-year 2022 operating and financial results, including revenue of $2.28 billion and $9.0 billion, respectively. SiriusXM's revenue was flat in the fourth quarter compared to the prior year period, and increased by 4% in 2022 compared to the prior year. 

The company recorded net income of $365 million and $1.21 billion in the fourth quarter and full-year 2022, respectively, compared to $318 million and $1.31 billion in the prior year, respectively. Net income per diluted common share was $0.09 and $0.31 in the fourth quarter and full-year 2022, respectively.

Adjusted EBITDA of $742 million and $2.83 billion for the fourth quarter and full-year 2022 increased 10% and 2% respectively, compared to the prior year periods.

Jennifer Witz

"2022 was a strong year for SiriusXM, as we continued to focus on bringing consumers the best in audio entertainment both in-car and on the go, reaching record high revenue and record low churn,” said Jennifer Witz, Chief Executive Officer. 

"Our strong operating and financial performance in 2022 are a testament to our resilient business model and growing contribution from streaming, which helped us deliver 348,000 net new self-pay subscribers. In 2023, we expect SiriusXM to deliver strong operating performance and generate significant cash, even as we face a challenging economic environment and continue to make material investments in our technology infrastructure.”

TV Ratings For The Week: NFL Is Strong Lead-In For 'Fire Country'

Sunday’s episode of “Fire Country” on CBS drew the largest audience for a scripted series episode since the April 6, 2021, episode of “NCIS,” 10.082 million viewers.

The first-season drama, which followed coverage of the AFC championship game, finished third among prime-time broadcast and cable programs airing between Jan. 23 and Sunday, according to The LA Times citing  live-plus-same-day figures released by Nielsen.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game averaged 53.124 million viewers, the most for an NFL conference championship since Jan. 20, 2019, when the New England Patriots’ 37-31 overtime victory over the Chiefs averaged 53.918 million viewers. The viewership for the 2019 game did not include out-of-home viewing, which Nielsen began including in its ratings figures in September 2020.

The AFC championship game also drew television’s largest audience since NBC’s telecast of Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022. The “Fire Country” episode followed the 21-minute AFC championship game postgame show, which averaged 24.326 million viewers.

The combination of the AFC championship game and having each of the six most popular non-sports programs and nine of the top 11 made CBS the most-watched network for the first time in the 19-week-old 2022-23 prime-time television season, averaging 11.81 million viewers.

ABC was second, averaging 2.82 million, and NBC third, averaging 2.73 million. CBS’ top program outside of its Sunday programming was “NCIS,” fourth for the week, averaging 7.536 million viewers. CBS had the highest rated comedy for the 17th time in the season, with “The Neighborhood” averaging 6.411 million viewers, sixth for the week. “Celebrity Jeopardy!” was ABC’s ratings leader, finishing 17th, averaging 4.435 million viewers. “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” was NBC’s top ranked program, finishing ninth for the week, averaging 5.774 million viewers.

The third episode of NBC’s revival of “Night Court” was 14th for the week, 12th among non-sports programs and third among comedies, averaging 5.175 million viewers, 31.5% less than the 7.544-million average for its premiere a week earlier, which was the most for a comedy premiere since ABC’s “The Conners” averaged 10.567 million viewers on Oct. 16, 2018. Fox averaged 1.87 million viewers. 

The top 20 prime-time programs consisted of the AFC championship game and its 21-minute postgame show; nine CBS scripted programs and “The Price Is Right at Night”; four NBC scripted programs and “America’s Got Talent: All-Stars”; and the ABC alternative programs “Celebrity Jeopardy!” and “Shark Tank” and its scripted series “The Rookie.”

TV Ratings Month of January: Fox Continues To Dominate

FOX News Channel (FNC) finished January 2023 surpassing CNN and MSNBC with total day and primetime viewers and A25-54 for the 23rd consecutive month.  FNC also notched 99 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the month. 

In total day, FNC delivered over 1.3 million viewers, 173,000 in the 25-54 demo and 110,000 with the 18-49 demo. In primetime, FNC netted over 1.9 million viewers, 239,000 in the 25-54 demo and 157,000 with the 18-49 demo. The network secured the top 13 programs in cable news with viewers and the top 14 cable news programs in the 25-54 demo. The Five continued to make history, marking ten consecutive months as the most-watched program in cable news, while Tucker Carlson Tonight led cable news in the younger 25-54 demo. CNN’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? saw its lowest-rated month since launch with total viewers as the show begins its second season seeing double-digit declines on Sunday at 7 PM/ET.

Attracting 54% of cable news viewers across primetime and 53% in total day, FNC continued to deliver over half the genre’s audience share. According to Nielsen MRI-Simmons Fusion, FNC also remained the most-watched network across the political spectrum with more Independents and Democrats choosing FNC as their preferred network than MSNBC and CNN in total day and primetime viewers in the A25-54 demo. FNC was also number one in cable news with Asian viewers in total day and Hispanic viewers in primetime.

Meta Platforms’ Revenue and Profit Fall in Q4

Meta Platform’s revenue fell 4% to $32 billion last quarter, as the company continued to struggle with a slowdown in its advertising business. The drop, however, was at the lower end of the company’s forecast of a decline between 3.4% and 11%.

The company’s stock climbed after the announcement, buoyed by the news of a $40 billion stock buyback.

Reality Labs, the department behind Meta’s push to develop metaverse technology, reported losses of $4.2 billion—up from $3.3 billion the prior year. Meta’s profit fell 55% to $4.65 billion.

Meta reported that daily active people across Meta’s family of apps rose 5% compared to the prior year quarter, to an average of 2.96 billion. The company’s headcount was up 20% to 86,482 people, though the company noted that the figure included most of the 11,000 employees who were laid off, signaling the number will be lower next quarter.

Chicago Radio: Public Media CEO Has Resigned

One year after the Chicago Sun-Times joined WBEZ to become a nonprofit newspaper under Chicago Public Media, its CEO, Nykia Wright, is stepping down.

The announcement follows a leave of absence by Wright this month that generated speculation of her impending departure, reports The Chicago Tribune.

Chicago Public Media CEO Matt Moog will “work directly” with Sun-Times management to oversee day-to-day operations going forward, according to a news release.

“I’m very grateful for Nykia’s leadership, especially as we brought together two outstanding and beloved news organizations, the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ Chicago, under the Chicago Public Media umbrella,” Moog said. “I wish her all the very best in her next chapter.”

Wright had helmed the Sun-Times in its waning days as a struggling for-profit newspaper and remained CEO after its merger with public radio station WBEZ-FM 91.5 was finalized Jan. 31 of last year. But she had been on leave for several weeks, according to Chicago Public Media spokeswoman Betsy Berger.

NYC Radio: Giocomelli, Charmont To Lead WWPR, WWRL Sales Team

iHeartMedia New York announced today new appointments for WWPR Power 105.1 and WWRL 1600 AM Black Information Network sales team, with Victor Giacomelli named Vice President of Sales and Travia Charmont named Sales Manager.

In these new roles, Giacomelli and Charmont will be responsible for overseeing the Power 105.1 and WWRL 1600 AM BIN sales team, including sales growth and strategic partnerships. They will report to Steve DeLusant, Senior Vice President of Sales for iHeartMedia New York City.

Victor Giacomelli and Travia Charmont

“Victor and Travia are the perfect combination to lead our sales efforts for Power 105.1 and the WWRL 1600 AM Black Information Network,” said Steve DeLusant, Senior Vice President of Sales of iHeartMedia. “Both Victor and Travia have strong experience and knowledge working in the multicultural space. I am excited to have them join our team and watch them take our brands to the next level. Their additions will position our team for long-term success at iHeartMedia New York.”

Wake-Up Call: Russia Strikes Civilian Apartments

Russia, determined to make progress before Ukraine gets newly pledged Western battle tanks and armoured vehicles, has picked up momentum on the battlefield and announced advances north and south of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in Donetsk. Bakhmut and 10 towns and villages around it came under Russian fire, the Ukrainian military said late on Wednesday. Bakhmut has suffered persistent Russian bombardment for months. Avdiivka, another major Russian target, the nearby town of Maryinka and some neighbouring settlements were also hit, the military added. In Kramatorsk, about 34 miles northwest of Bakhmut, a Russian missile destroyed one apartment building and damaged seven on Wednesday, killing at least three people and injuring 20, police said.

Watch: Russian rocket strikes homes in Ukraine's Kramatorsk https://t.co/i4e6skrX0V

— Just the News (@JustTheNews) February 2, 2023

➤HALEY RUN STARTS FEB 15: Nikki Haley is betting with her presidential bid that she’s uniquely suited to solve Republicans’ Donald Trump dilemma, as GOP leaders seek a new standard bearer for the 2024 election. The former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador under Trump is expected to announce her candidacy on Feb. 15, directly challenging the former president’s comeback bid as he continues to draw blame for disappointing GOP midterm results. Haley’s intention to seek the White House marks a reversal from previous declarations that she wouldn’t run if her former boss were to enter the race. She’s banking on increasing disdain for Trump, 76, within the party and offering her relative youth, at 51, and Indian American heritage as a modern alternative.

➤DeSANTIS PUSHES TAX CUTS: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing for permanent tax cuts and pay increases for state employees in the coming year’s budget as revenue surpasses forecasts. DeSantis, a Republican who’s widely considered a potential contender for the 2024 presidential nomination, unveiled his $114.8 billion spending proposal dubbed “Framework for Freedom” for the fiscal year that starts July 1.  “Florida is stronger than ever,” he said, pointing to the state’s 2.5% unemployment rate, high levels of in-migration, low taxes and rapid clip of new business creation. The governor proposed $15.7 billion of total reserves. “That shows you that the state is going in the right direction.”

➤ONE MORE TIME: The Federal Reserve enacted its smallest interest rate hike in nearly a year on Wednesday — but signaled it expects “ongoing increases” in a blow to investors calling for a pause in the bank’s inflation-fighting campaign. The rate-making Federal Open Market Committee hiked its benchmark rate by a quarter percentage point — to a range of 4.5% to 4.75% — at the conclusion of its two-day policy meeting. “The Committee anticipates that ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate in order to attain a stance of monetary policy that is sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to 2 percent over time,” the FOMC said in a statement. The increase marked the eighth consecutive hike dating to March of last year. However, the quarter-point hike was the smallest since the Fed began its current policy-tightening effort and followed a series of supercharged hikes — including one in December.

➤SPEAKER 'HOPEFUL' ON DEBT CEILING: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he’s hopeful he can strike a deal on raising the debt limit with President Joe Biden well before the deadline when the nation would no longer be able to pay its bills.The California Republican emerged from a private meeting with Biden on Wednesday and sought to tamp down concerns that a stalemate could push the government to the edge of a default. He said the the discussion went better than he expected.  “I think, at the end of the day, we can find common ground,” McCarthy said as he left the White House. But he also reiterated GOP demands for spending cuts and said he was aiming for a two-year agreement.

Bob Woodward Warned WaPo Of Dossier Coverage

Donald Trump slammed the media for its failings over the notorious Steele Dossier following an 18-month investigation by the Columbia Journalism Review, claiming it also led to his 2020 presidential loss. 

The report, published Monday, details shortcomings in the media's coverage about Christopher Steel's dossier linking Trump's 2016 campaign to Russia.  

Taking to Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump said the report highlighted the failings of the mainstream media and that it 'had a huge impact on the 2020 presidential election, just one of the many ways that the elections was rigged and stolen.' 

Veteran Watergate journalist Bob Woodward says he tried to warn Washington Post reporters about the infamous, discredited “Steele dossier” when the RussiaGate coverage first took off — but they weren’t interested, according to The NY Post.

Woodward was among those interviewed for a lengthy Columbia Journalism Review report published this week about the media’s handling of the unproven allegations that Trump colluded with Russia amid the 2016 election.

In the interview, the 79-year-old reporter — famous for breaking the Nixon White House scandal for the outlet in the early ’70s — recalled how he was quick to slam the largely-discredited Trump dossier when it was first published in 2017.

Woodward had dismissed the files, which were funded by Hillary Clinton’s campaign and compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele, as a “garbage document” during a January 2017 Fox News appearance.

He then reached out to unnamed Washington Post reporters — but claims they had no interest in his harsh criticism, according to the CJR report.

Norfolk Radio: WVSP Sells Brand Naming Rights

In an unprecedented move, Max Media Hampton Roads has partnered with Priority Automotive to rebrand WVSP-FM as Priority Auto Sports Radio 94.1.

“The partnership between ESPN 94.1 and Priority Automotive is a natural evolution for both companies. From the many youth organizations to college teams, Priority Automotive has been dedicated to sports in Hampton Roads for decades. Max Media is incredibly proud to be partnered with such a class organization.” said Keith Barton, President and Market Manager for Max Media Hampton Roads.

Priority Auto Sports Radio 94.1 will continue to be Hampton Roads home for ODU Athletics, Norfolk Tides and air ESPN nationally syndicated shows such as Keyshawn, JWill and Max (6a-10a) and Greeny (10a-12n). The station will still be anchored by local on-air personality Tim Donnelly of “The Tim Donnelly Show” (3p-6p). COO of Priority Automotive

Matt Elmer remarked, “This is an important partnership for us. At Priority Automotive we think sports ties everyone together, so this is a great opportunity for us to be a voice in the community and partner with the number one voice for sports in Hampton Roads, ESPN 94.1”.

NYC Radio: Mets' Rose Talks About His Cancer Struggle

Howie Rose - 2022

One night during spring training in 2021, right before going to bed, NY Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose noticed blood in his urine when he went to the bathroom.

“I knew that wasn’t good,” Rose said.

His doctor initially thought it was a kidney stone or maybe a urinary tract infection. It was bladder cancer.  Rose, the longtime radio voice of the Mets, dealt with it privately during the 2021 season. He received an array of cancer treatments, and it was a struggle, according to The NY Post. 

By the final month of the regular season in September, Rose was no longer able to work, and it was described at the time as an illness that needed surgery.

Rose underwent a radical cystoprostatectomy, a major surgery in which the cancerous bladder is removed along with the prostate, and then a new bladder, called a neobladder, is created from the intestines. If all goes well, a person can go on living a basically normal life. The surgery barely leaves a scar. 

Urban One Launches Podcast Network

Urban One Inc. has announced the launch of the new Urban One Podcast Network. This groundbreaking effort expands the company's already extensive audio entertainment options for BIPOC audiences, as well as for advertisers who want to connect with the Black community authentically and culturally.

Powered by Black stories, the network is a curated slate of premium content across diverse genres enriched in information, insight, and entertainment. The network launches with more than 10 original shows plus exclusive partnerships with other Black-owned podcasts and networks.

From True Crimes and Comedy to Music, Health and Sports, the lineup includes The Undressing Room Podcast presented by Macy's, Small Doses with Amanda Seales, The Amanda Seales Show, Fatal Attraction, Black Health 365, Rickey Smiley Morning Show Podcast, I Hate the Homies, Mind Body and Business with Maria More, Mompreneurs, Adult'Hood, Dead End Media, SZN Opener, Back Story with Colby Colb and more. The network, which boasts an average of more than 1.5 million downloads per month at launch, will continuously be adding additional original shows and partnerships.

"Given Urban One's history and legacy in creating premium audio content for Black audiences and the growing level of Black podcast listeners, this was a natural step to continue exemplifying our mission of "Representing Black Culture"" said Josh Rahmani, Urban One's Chief Revenue Officer, Audio Division. "The network provides a natural partnership destination for BIPOC creators and presents advertisers the opportunity to connect with a niche audience that over-indexes for their response to brands that show up in podcasts, particularly podcasts with Black creators and hosts."

Skyview Networks Probes Cybersecurity Incident

At least some services of Skyview Networks have been interrupted this week due to a cybersecurity incident. The company said it had experienced “unauthorized access to its IT environment, resulting in interrupted technical services” this week.

Radio World reports Skyview said it activated its incident response plan and subsequently isolated the affected systems. But it said the incident has affected a number of programming and advertisement delivery programs and as of Wednesday midday it said it expects continued disruption to some systems through the end of the week.

Skyview Networks declined to provide details including which services had been affected. Barrett News Media reported that CBS News Radio including the “CBS World News Roundup” was affected on Monday and that CBS Radio was using alternate distribution methods.

The issue was originally confirmed in an email sent to Radio Ink by Steve Jones, the president and CEO of Skyview, who said the company “experienced unauthorized access to its IT environment, resulting in interrupted technical services.”

“Skyview activated its comprehensive incident response plan,” Jones affirmed. “We have initiated advanced monitoring and threat detection across our systems and data. We have also involved industry-leading forensic experts to help us contain and investigate the incident. These efforts are fully underway.”

Jones said specific information about the cyberattack could not be disclosed at this time, because the investigation and response are still ongoing. “Our highest priority is the security and protection of all data, and we are cooperating with authorities on this matter,” he affirmed.